A bit out of focus, but just a quick shot to give you the idea: Tacitus, 275 - 276 AD AE Antoninianus, Ticinum Mint Obv: IMP C M CL TACITVS PF AVG VIRTVS. Radiate bust left holding spear and shield. Rx: VICTORIA GOTTHI, Victory standing left holding wreath and palm, P in exergue. RIC173, Rarity3 Before you scroll down to this remarkably ugly and poorly preserved coin....Tacitus was a relatively luckless emperor and lasted just 8 or 9 months. While there are two other variants of this type which are more common (well, rated scarce and rare respectively) this is the only example I have been able to track down outside of published collections. There may be others, who knows. I could find nothing either online nor in my library of paper catalogs. Still, pretty darned rare, but wow! Look at this thing:
The new RIC online database is the one I hit up when looking at coins of this period. It shows 6 specimens of RIC 173 with pictures. Is this a variant of those? It is remarkably ugly! http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/3403?...e=&Reference=&page=1&mod=result&from=advanced
Same type as far as I can tell with the poor state of it. At least there is a number attached to the known examples.
I still need a Lucilla "Vota Outside Wreath" denarius, and if one came up in the OP shape, I would probably pass, unless it was less them $20.
Thanks for sharing. How did you ID the coin? Could you read the letters? Did you know the portrait silhouette and reverse shape? Nice detective work. I see lots of interesting coins when I do youth auctions. I tell the buyers that this is the ugliest US coin. at least on the obverse I really like the reverse! The winner of the same category in foreign coins goes to Winston C.
Well, like in many cases when you look at someting too closely it often seems to be something else entirely. I was focusing too much on the portrait, which due to the severe damage seemed to be some sort of unknown emperor. I was also convinced the few letters I could see were IMP C M O. Anyway, it wasn't too much to just use the first few letters of the inscription to track it down. Also, the only visible letter on the reverse was O, so it attribution went quickly from there by looking for the combination of everything together.
I won't point out why this coin is special since I'm only posting it because I don't want to be left out of the ugly Tacitus parade .
The only Tacitus I have isn't a bad coin and not too ugly and is unlisted in RIC but is on that RIC V website and I also submitted this coin which was accepted. Tacitus AE Antoninianus, 275-276 AD, 3.6g, 23mm OBV: IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG. Radiate and cuirassed bust right. REV: MARTI PACIF. Mars advancing left, holding branch, spear and shield. XXIVI in ex. REF: RIC temp 3764 Ex: Rudi Smits
Life is treating me pretty good, if not bringing me a lot of money to buy coins. lol Just been doing my own thing, running my Facebook group and hanging out. Hopefully you are doing well yourself.
